Message Message from the Honourable Fayval Williams, Minister of Education and Youth

Welcome to ‘YouthJamaica.gov.jm’. the new website of the Youth and Adolescents Policy Division (YAPD) in the Ministry of Education and Youth. This is among the latest resources being made available to you as the Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Education and Youth, underscores the importance of a multifunctional digital platform to comprehensively serve the nation’s youth.

The YAPD has direct responsibility for young people within the 15-29 year old age group with a mission to enable positive youth development through policy initiatives,

programming actions and youth participation and partnerships with stakeholders. The establishment of this virtual platform, shaped by the government’s commitment to youth development, provides our wider stakeholder community with direct access to information on youth programmes from anywhere in the country, and by extension the world. ‘YouthJamaica.gov.jm’ will also enable us to reach and interact with young people who we may not have the chance to visit with directly at specific locations across the island.

There is a wide range of services and information available from the YAPD and here you will learn about the National Youth Policy and be able to empower yourself and your peers about leadership training opportunities as well as issues of direct interest you. Come and learn about the Student Governance Programmes at the secondary and tertiary levels and begin or improve on your advocacy and leadership journey. Come and learn about our Youth Innovation Centres; how you can reach out to your parish officers, meet them and become knowledgeable about the various offerings of the YAPD.

We encourage you to tap into this virtual platform of the Youth and Adolescents Policy Division while we continue to emphasize the Transforming Education for National Development programme for the improvement of our youth population.